Wednesday, February 1, 2006

OTTAWA - Today, at a news conference in Ottawa, Democracy Watch called on Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper, and the leaders of the other three federal political parties with elected MPs, to expand the Conservatives planned “Federal Accountability Act” to include some of the recommendations made in the Gomery Commission’s second report of recommendations which was released today in Ottawa. (Gomery Commission's 2nd Report)

“Justice Gomery has proposed six additional good changes to strengthen the federal government’s accountability system, and the Conservatives and other federal political parties should add these changes to the Conservatives’ planned ‘Federal Accountability Act’,” said Duff Conacher, Coordinator of Democracy Watch.

The Gomery Commission’s second report contains 18 recommendations, but only the following six proposals are not covered specifically by the Conservatives’ planned “Federal Accountability Act” and election platform:

• give the Registrar of Lobbyists the power to prosecute and penalize violators of the Lobbyists Registration Act and the Lobbyists’ Code of Conduct (Rec. 15);
• strengthen the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service by adding specific rules and changing it into a law (Rec. 2);
• make violating section 34 of the Financial Administration Act (which requires certification that all work has been performed or all services have been provided before payment is made) grounds for firing without compensation (Rec. 17);
• ensure that any “special reserve” funds created by Cabinet are under the control of Treasury Board and issue an annual, public report (Rec. 9);
• ensure that Deputy Ministers are selected through a competitive, merit-based process, and that Deputy Ministers, Assistant Deputy Ministers, and other senior civil servants all have a fixed term of office of between three to five years (to ensure accountability is consistent through these time periods, and to protect them from being fired for challenging Cabinet Ministers who want to violate rules) (Rec. 6 and 12), and;
• ensure that MPs on the Public Accounts Committee serve through the entire period between elections, to ensure consistent and effective oversight over spending by Cabinet Ministers and government departments and institutions (Rec. 7).